New Pill Helps Hair Grow Faster

Late stage trials show promise for improving hair growth in men:

“Veradermics assessed the pill in two ways: by how many hairs grew within a square centimeter of the scalp, on average, and by how satisfied participants were with the results. Over the course of six months, men who took the drug, known as VDPHL01, either once or twice daily had between 30 and 33 more hairs per square centimeter of scalp. Men in the placebo group grew approximately seven additional hairs.”

Between 79% and 86% of men taking VDPHL01 said they saw improvement.

This little pill has the ability to transform treatment for hair loss:

“Dermatology has been treating hair loss with a drug borrowed from cardiology, in a formulation never intended for our patients, at doses we arrived at informally,” said Michael Gold, M.D., Study '302’ trial investigator and board-certified dermatologist. “VDPHL01 is the first oral minoxidil formulation developed specifically for pattern hair loss, and now the first to generate positive Phase 3 results of efficacy and safety.”

That’s great for men, but what about women who are struggling with hair loss right now?

There is Hope for Women Too!

This NPR article looks into cutting edge solutions on the horizon:

“New drugs to treat alopecia areata called JAK inhibitors , which target the part of the immune system that has become overactive and attacks the hair follicles, were approved in just the last few years. A recent review of several studies published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open found that patients had more hair regrowth compared with placebo.”

The authors go on to say that it is important to see a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss to get an accurate diagnosis. There are different reasons for hair loss. That way, your provider can prescribe the correct course of treatment.

I miss my thick hair. I remember a stylist once told me that I had enough hair for two people. Now, I barely have enough for one!

I did experiment with extensions for about a year. I loved having those long, thick tresses. But ultimately the price (think car payment) plus all those hours in the salon every month did it for me.

Once I removed the extensions, I realized my hair isn’t as thick as it once was, but I can live with it. I do have clip extensions hanging in my closet just in case I feel the need for more luxurious locks. But so far, I haven’t pulled them out.

I’m not saying I don’t care about my looks anymore, I’ve simply adjusted to the new state of my hair. Just like I’ve adjusted to thinner eye lashes.

Don’t get me started on lash extensions. For a couple of years there, I looked like I had spiders growing out from my eye lids.

Maybe it’s just a “less is more” attitude. Or, I’ve simply learned the hard way. After a disastrous trip to the lash salon, my eyes swelled up like balloons. Apparently you’re not supposed to apply those lash grown serums and get extensions at the same time!

Sometimes though, less really is more. I don’t have those thick tresses anymore, but honestly, they were a frizzy mess most of the time. I find my hair is easier to style now, and I am better at it.

If I want to pamper myself, I head over to a blow dry bar. Those stylists can make even the thinnest hair shiny and voluminous.

So, remedies do exist that don’t come in pill form. But if my hair thins much more, I might take a trip to the dermatologist’s office.